American photographer Octavio Aburto spent decades studying and researching marine biology due to his fascination with undersea life, and has documented everything from individual creatures to massive schools of fish traveling in coordinated movements. The mind-blowing images above show a tornado that consists of thousands of fish in the midst of a reproductive courtship. Continue reading for a video and more information.

According to My Modern Met, "For some, the large, swarming masses could seem a bit intimidating. But, not for these two adventurous photographers who pointed their cameras and documented the rare biological phenomenon that was taking place below the surface of the sea."